Chapter 478: Jin Box

Zeng Qingxi came quickly.

When he arrived at the west courtyard of the Zhou family's third room, everyone had already moved the place, no longer staying in the courtyard, but entering the house.

It's May, and the weather is cool in the early morning, so everyone is comfortable in the yard and the place is more spacious. But when the sun rises and the sun grows stronger, it is not a good place to stay outside. The people had to move to the main house.

On Saturday, the general's wife took people to remove all the superfluous furniture, leaving only a few circle chairs, and Tu Rong, the representative of Zhenguo Gong and the emperor, sat on the left and right seats, Zhenguo Duchess and Ma Shangyi sat next to the two of them, Zhou Shigong and his wife sat at the bottom, and most of the rest of the people were standing, and even Haitang followed Zhou Yijun and accompanied his grandmother Ma Shi to stand behind Zhou Ma.

Everyone gathered in a circle and a half, and the main house was crowded, leaving only a square space, and a circle chair was placed in the middle, and Mrs. Ma sat upright, bearing everyone's eyes. General Saturday and Lin Sandao, the imperial guard who had just arrived in Chang'an, stood behind her on the left and right, shouldering the duty of guarding her.

As if she didn't realize that she was being treated as a prisoner under the stairs, she was expressionless, lowered her eyes, and heard the movement of people entering the door behind her, so she only held the handle of the circle chair tightly and didn't say anything.

Zeng Qingxi was wearing an official uniform, holding a mahogany brocade box in his hand, and as soon as he entered the door, he politely greeted the Zhenguo Duke and his wife, and saluted Tu Rong, and after the ceremony, he couldn't help complaining: "Lord Tongzhi told me to wait!" I have been waiting for the Yamen of the Dusi for half a day, and I don't know how you are doing here, when will you summon me over. If you don't send someone to call me, I can't help but break in and find out!" ”

Tu Rong glanced at Zeng Qingxi, obviously the relationship between the two is quite close, and they do not pay attention to vulgarity.

He first introduced the matter to Zeng Qingxi, and then said: "Now we suspect that this old lady Ma has a plot against the ancestral hall of the Zeng family of the Yingchuan Marquis Mansion, and it is estimated that there is something she wants in the ancestral hall." It's just that I and other outsiders don't know what is hidden in the ancestral hall of the Zeng family. You are the righteous son of the Zeng family, what clues do you know? ”

Zeng Qingxi said: "Although I grew up in the Yingchuan Marquis Mansion, I am not the blood of the Zeng family, and I don't know much. The children of the Hou Mansion can enter the ancestral hall every New Year's Festival, but the main room in the rear is indeed only accessible to the head of the family and the heirs of the head of the family. But it is not a place to hide things, it is dedicated to the tablets of the ancestors of the Zeng family, as well as the relics of the ancestors of the Zeng family. I really don't know what is coveted by outsiders. He paused, and two words came out, "But ......"

Everyone was disappointed by his words just now, and they were attracted by his word "but". Tu Rong hurriedly asked, "But what?" ”

Zeng Qingxi picked up the mahogany brocade box in his hand and let everyone see the seal on it: "But before I left Beijing, the Marquis of Yingchuan handed over this box to me, and also put a seal on it and stamped it." He told me that if during the interrogation of Mrs. Ma, he encountered a question that he had to ask the Marquis of Yingchuan to know the answer, so he would take out the box and ask the Duke of Zhenguo and Tu Tongzhi to open it together. Inside the box was a confession he had copied by himself......" he paused for a moment and accentuated his tone, "It was the confession of the second wife, Zhou, herself. ”

Old Madam Ma was shocked and looked up in disbelief. She stared at the mahogany brocade box as if she were looking at something terrible.

Zeng Qingxi handed the brocade box to Tu Rong: "Along the way, I have never opened the seal on it, and I don't know what is written inside. The interrogation of the second wife was done by the Hou Ye with the son, and the second master also listened. After the trial, Hou Ye entered the palace alone to face the saint, and there was no rumor. In addition, even Mrs. Hou didn't know what the second wife said. Hou Ye instructed that if Zhen Guogong and Tu Tongzhi didn't ask me all the time, I wouldn't have to take out this box. The things here can actually be hidden day by day. Say it so that people know, the face of the Marquis of Yingchuan is gloomy, and the ancestors of the Zeng family will also be humiliated. ”

Zeng Qingxi said it so seriously, and everyone suddenly became twelve points curious about the contents of the brocade box.

Haitang faintly guessed in the crowd that the answer she always wanted to know most should be in this brocade box. With this thing, Mrs. Ma's secret will be revealed to the world. She no longer wants to argue for her actions, trying to get away with it!

Tu Rong took the brocade box and solemnly turned around and handed it to Zhen Guogong. Zhenguo was about to take it, but Mrs. Ma suddenly jumped up and tried to rush forward to snatch the brocade box. However, Saturday, the general and the Lin guards had been staring at her, never going out of their minds, and when they saw her moving, they quickly reached out in unison and grabbed her shoulders. She had barely taken two steps before she was pushed back into the circle chair.

Mrs. Ma tried to struggle again, shouting loudly such things as "presumptuous" and "rude". However, Saturday General and Lin guards turned a deaf ear and held her tightly, regardless of whether she would be injured in the struggle.

Zhou Ma said hatefully: "Ah Jia should save effort!" There are so many people here! Can you still be told to grab something?! Don't you think that the old lady has always treated you well, and the Zhou family is a sick cat who lets you do anything?! ”

Old Madam Ma stopped struggling and glanced at her with pity: "Eldest daughter-in-law, are you fat now?" How dare you be rude to me?! ”

Zhou Mashi sneered: "You can still put your mother-in-law in front of your forehead with this moment." When your crimes are exposed, the Zhou family will directly divorce you, do you recognize who you are?! ”

Mrs. Ma's eyes couldn't help poking Zhou Ma's heart cold, but when she heard a "click" sound from the right direction, the whole person froze, and then slowly turned her head to look over. Zhen Guogong had already joined forces with Tu Rong to tear open the seal on the mahogany brocade box and lift the lid of the box, revealing a thick stack of paper full of words inside.

Tu Rong took out the paper and found that there was a yellowed paper bag underneath, only half the size of a palm, which seemed to be years old, and had been opened by someone with a rough technique, and carefully re-wrapped it back, leaving several damages.

What is this?

Tu Rong had a puzzled look on his face.

Zeng Qingxi said: "This confession should be true. The second wife, Zhou, originally refused to tell the truth, and refused to admit that she tried to murder the son. Mrs. Hou threatened the future marriage of her children, and she relented and admitted her crime, but refused to explain why she did it, only saying that she was trying to get the title of her husband's family, and she was unwilling to marry a mediocre petty official with no title and no talent. Hou Ye and his wife originally thought that this was her idea, but when they got a letter from Chang'an, they realized that there might be something inside that they didn't know. Hou Ye persuaded the second master and asked him to persuade the second wife in person, so that the second wife told the truth. ”

As for the calculation of the second master Zeng to give up his beloved wife for the future, he didn't plan to make it too clear. Anyway, now that the Yingchuan Marquis Mansion has been separated in disguise, the second master Zeng took his children to Jiangnan. Yingchuan Hou found a foreign position for his younger brother, and Mrs. Yingchuan Hou married him a second room with a good background and upbringing. He took his second room and children to Jiangnan to live a quiet life, leaving his original partner Zhou Shuyi at home in the capital and trapped in the family nunnery inside the Hou Mansion to "repair". Mrs. Yingchuan Hou will take care of her, and he doesn't have to worry about this half-hearted wife anymore. The Zeng family of the Marquis of Yingchuan returned to calm.

Tu Rong discussed a few words with Zhen Guogong in a low voice, then ignored the paper bag for the time being, took out the confession first, and read it aloud to everyone present from the first page.

(End of chapter)